Salmon on soy beans _ Deforestation and land conflict in Brazil (Rainforest Foundation Norway et al.)

This report does not contain an executive summary. Here is a summary of the report's key findings:

Norwegian Salmon-Brazilian Soy Link: The Norwegian salmon farming industry is highly dependent on soy from Brazil. In 2017, Norwegian aquaculture imported 282,448 tons of Soy Protein Concentrate (SPC). In 2015, 94% of the soy used in Norwegian fish feed came from Brazil.
Focus Companies: The report investigates the supply chains of three key Brazilian SPC exporters to Norway: Caramuru, Selecta, and Imcopa.
Illegal Deforestation: The investigation found that suppliers to Caramuru and Selecta have engaged in illegal deforestation and cultivated soy in "interdicted" areas (areas embargoed by environmental authorities). One supplier to Caramuru received fines of almost R$6 million in 2017 for repeated deforestation.
Land Conflicts: The report connects soy production for the Norwegian market to violent land conflicts in Brazil. A soy farmer who supplied both Caramuru and Selecta was a defendant in a lawsuit for illegally occupying land in a settlement where a couple was murdered over land disputes.
Slave Labour: Suppliers to the investigated companies have been caught using slave labour. Since 1995, over 1,826 workers have been rescued from slave-like conditions on soy farms in Brazil.
- In 2015, Caramuru purchased soy from a farmer, Sadi Zanatta, who had been cited for using slave labour in 2008.
- A supplier to Imcopa (via the C.Vale cooperative), Luiz Bononi, had nine workers rescued from slavery in 2012 and continued to supply the cooperative while on the government's "dirty list" of employers using slave labour.
Labour Violations: Beyond slavery, the report identifies other serious labour abuses. Sadi Luiz Piccinin Junior, a supplier to Caramuru and Selecta, was found to subject workers to exhausting 10+ hour workdays, poor conditions, and a lack of formal contracts.
Banned Pesticides: Suppliers have been caught using banned and smuggled pesticides. The same farmer, Piccinin Junior, was sued for using an unauthorized, imported insecticide on his farm, from which soy was sold to Selecta and Caramuru.
Impact on Indigenous Peoples: Soy expansion is encroaching on and causing conflict within indigenous lands. The report details soy cultivation inside the Panambizinho Indigenous Land, with the harvest sold to the C.Vale cooperative, a known supplier to Imcopa.
Lack of Transparency: The report highlights a significant lack of transparency from the companies and the ProTerra certification scheme, which certifies most of the non-GM soy imported by Norway. Only Caramuru provided detailed responses to the allegations, while Selecta and Imcopa remained mostly silent. ProTerra declined to provide information on specific suppliers, citing confidentiality.